The Himalayas are currently witnessing an unprecedented expansion of tourism and infrastructure, often putting fragile ecosystems under immense pressure.
The Himalayas are currently witnessing an unprecedented expansion of tourism and infrastructure, often putting fragile ecosystems under immense pressure.
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You don’t have any Active Subscription. Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Your active subscription(s) Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Products you've access to Additional Subscription Benefits Need help with your subscription? Updated - October 16, 2026 10:22 pm IST - VILLUPURAM An assessment of infrastructure requirements in 2,286 rural habitations across Villupuram district will be conducted from October 7 to 17 under the Tamil Nadu Village Empowerment, Transformation and Rejuvenation Initiative (TN-VETRI). According to Collector Sheik Abdul Rahman, the exercise will cover 688 village panchayats in 13 panchayat unions. The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department will conduct the exercise through Participatory Rural Appraisal, using social maps and charts to document community and individual needs. Residents will accompany assessment teams through their habitations to identify infrastructure gaps. Block Development Officers have drawn up schedules for the assessment, which will be held at common locations in each habitation. Trained members of village poverty reduction committees, panchayat-level federations and women’s self-help groups, along with anganwadi workers, noon-meal organisers and panchayat secretaries, will assist the teams, he said. The assessment will identify requirements for new roads and repairs, drinking water facilities, household water connections, streetlights, anganwadi centres, school buildings, kitchens, compound walls and fair-price shops. It will also cover drainage and solid waste management infrastructure. Restoration of waterbodies, feeder channels, surplus weirs and sluices, workspace requirements for entrepreneurs, and details of people who possess house-site pattas but do not have houses will also be recorded, the Collector said. Under aspirational development goals, the teams will assess the need for parks, playgrounds, libraries, village and weekly markets, fish-drying yards, bus stations, gas-fired cremation facilities, electric vehicle charging stations, parking areas, commercial complexes and food courts. The Collector has urged residents to participate in the exercise and highlight the facilities needed in their localities. Published - October 06, 2026 08:20 pm IST Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
The inspection covers the elevated stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, comprising six stations
You don’t have any Active Subscription. Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Your active subscription(s) Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Products you've access to Additional Subscription Benefits Need help with your subscription? Updated - October 16, 2026 10:12 pm IST - HYDERABAD Researchers at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) have discovered an important molecular mechanism that helps tomato plants transport and reuse phosphate, a nutrient essential for healthy growth. The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Botany, was carried out by Abhishek Roychowdhury and others led by professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, Rahul Kumar. Improving the ability of plants to use phosphate efficiently could benefit both farmers and the environment. The researchers found that a tomato gene called PAP26b plays a key role in moving stored phosphate from older leaves to younger parts of the plant where it is needed for growth. When this gene was switched off, young leaves and roots began responding as though the plant was short of phosphate, even when enough nutrients were available. findings also reveal how plants manage phosphate differently in older and younger leaves. Researchers say understanding this mechanism could lead to resilient crop varieties that utilise internal nutrient reserves far more efficiently, cutting farmer input costs and mitigating soil degradation caused by excess fertiliser usage. Published - October 06, 2026 08:02 pm IST Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.